Opportunities Continue to Grow for 2026 Prospects

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Published Jun 7, 2025

Opportunities Continue to Grow for 2026 Prospects

Zach Smart • NYCHoops

Staff Writer

Though the 2025 class has faced arduous obstacles for scholarship opportunities given the current volatility of the NCAA Division I landscape and a sustained transfer spree, the Class of 2026 class continues to generate offers even amid the adversity.

Preston Merrick's (The Hotchkiss School, CT) next offer should come in short order, as the Class of 2026 prospect continues to surge as a blossoming mid-major recruit.

A vertically explosive three-and-D style wing, the 6-foot-5 Merrick is a well-built attacker who creates space off the bounce, attacks close-outs, and is defensively versatile enough to guard nearly every position at this level. With his ability to finish downhill, embrace contact on hard in-traffic surges, and crafty scoop layups, Merrick has become a skilled and acrobatic threat en route to the rim.

The New York Jayhawks prospect, who has a bevy of recent offers, is coming off a visit to Harvard. Merrick was offered by Harvard last month. Playing at The Hotchkiss School (CT), Merrick holds recent offers from the likes of Loyola (MD), Towson, Binghamton, Holy Cross, and others. He's heard from high majors such as Pittsburgh and Rutgers lately. Boasting a high academic pedigree, Merrick has been in contact with the likes of Northwestern, Brown, Northwestern, and Yale, among others.

Meanwhile, as a national recruit whose stock has been heating up since the winter, Class of 2026 Long Island Lutheran point guard Dylan Mingo (Long Island Lutheran, NY ‘26) received an offer from Oklahoma on Wednesday. Oklahoma, which has a No. 9-ranked incoming recruiting class upon capitalizing on the transfer market, is coming off a 20-14 campaign in 2024-25. The Sooners, with a considerable strength of schedule in an immensely talented SEC, garnered a berth in the 2025 NCAA tournament.

Mingo is a long, agile guard who defends multiple positions and has rapidly evolved into a major mismatch headache as a bigger, built point guard. Mingo has developed a reliable outside shot and a notable flair for the end game, as he stuck numerous high-pressure opportunistic 3-pointers and game winners this past season. Playing for the PSA Cardinals on the AAU circuit, Mingo holds offers from North Carolina, Louisville, Alabama, Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Providence, St. John's, and others.